It’s not crazy to say that video games have been heavily influential among the modern generation. The evolution of solo-player storytelling games to multiplayer first-person shooters has made video games just as important in media as movies are. 2024 was not only just a great year but also a great year for games. From finally seeing our favorite characters back in action to getting fresh content from our favorite franchises, the video games this year were breathtaking. This was the year that new generation consoles came into style, with games released exclusively on these new generation consoles. Here are the best games of 2024, including popularity, recent releases, and longevity.
Spider-Man, one of the most popular fictional characters ever, has finally had some solid representation over the past 2 years. 2023 saw the release of the movie Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, an almost perfect sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Insomniac Games has been steadily building a video game Spider-Man Universe over the past few years. Marvel’s Spider-Man(2018), Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales(2020), and Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered(2020) all widely received positive reviews from the Spider-Man fan base. Sony spent 2023 hyping up the highly anticipated sequel, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Released in late October of 2023, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was a nominee for this year’s Game of the Year award. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 made a breakthrough in 2024 when the Spider-Man 2 bundle was released with the new PS5 Slim earlier this year. The game earned 9.2 stars on IMDb and sold over 11 million copies worldwide after 6 months on the market. The game instantly became the fastest-selling PlayStation exclusive ever after its release.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the first piece of media to adapt the symbiote storyline since the movie Spider-Man 3(2007). Fans think the game does a good job of incorporating new elements of this Spider-Man universe into old comic book elements of the symbiotic relationship between Venom and Peter Parker. Not to mention, the game also finds a way to fuse the story of both Peter Parker and the newer Spider-Man, Miles Morales. “Spider-Man 2 is an amazing game that does a good job at displaying the capabilities of the PS5,” says Junior Gabe Morales of Wayne Hills High School. “It has a new take on the symbiote storyline, utilizing underrated villains such as Kraven the Hunter and Mr. Negative. This game adaptation of Venom is also really cool, and I like how they decided to go a new route and have Harry Osborn as Venom rather than Eddie Brock. The game’s mechanics are great too, and are far more superior to Spider-Man: Remastered.” PC users should be excited because Sony announced that the game will be released on PC in early 2025. While it doesn’t appear that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will be receiving any DLC side stories, fans of Insomniac Games can still look forward to future Marvel projects such as Marvel’s Wolverine.
With 9.7 stars on IMDb, and rated as the second-best video game of all time, Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us continues to be massive in not only the topic of video games but in the topic of fiction in general. With the original game released over a decade ago, The Last of Us has recently seen an upsurge in popularity this year with the highly anticipated announcement of season 2 of the TV show adaptation, and the release of The Last of Us Part II Remastered game. Unlike the other games on this list, The Last of Us delivers a more maturely developed storyline and deals with the morals of what it takes to be ‘human’ in this zombie-infested world. Its enticing gameplay and ruthless story have helped the game sell over 37 million copies over the past decade. These copies include The Last of Us(2013), The Last of Us Remastered(2014), The Last of Us Part II(2020), The Last of Us Part I(2022), and The Last of Us Part II Remastered(2024). And that’s not all, the TV show adaptation received 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 8.7 stars on IMDb.
Junior Nick Taveras of Wayne Hills High School says, “The story of The Last of Us is emotionally compelling. You truly do feel like the character Joel as you play throughout the game. The decisions that you’re forced to make not only change the way the story progresses but also change your perspective on life. Not only that, but the graphics are absolutely beautiful. The game utilizes the raw power of the PS5. Although I wasn’t able to appreciate the game for what it was when I was younger, I’m glad I’m able to more thoroughly appreciate the story as I matured over the past years.” It’s really interesting to see how much of an impact this game has had on its players on an emotional level. Currently, fans of The Last of Us patiently wait for the release of season 2 of the show, and Part III of the video game. If you haven’t played the game before, you truly are missing out on some of the best pieces of media over the past decade.
Fortnite is a game that needs no introduction. When talking about longevity and popularity alone, Fortnite without a doubt dominates the conversation. Released back in 2017, Fortnite still manages to prevail in the gaming industry worldwide. Over the past year, Fortnite has achieved its goal of becoming the metaverse of games with the release of “Fortnite Festival,” “Rocket Racing,” “Lego mode,” and so much more. In November of 2023, Fortnite released “Chapter OG,” reaching a peak of an 11.3 million player count. With the recent release of “Fortnite Chapter 6” and the permanent “Fortnite OG” gamemode, the game breaks its 11.3 million player count record, peaking at 14.3 million players just over 2 weeks ago.
“OG Fortnite is so nostalgic,” Nick Taveras also says. “It reminds me of simpler times when I can just hop on the game and have fun without having to worry about the weight of life around me. The graphics are much more rudimentary and simpler, which some would argue is a much-needed change to what we had previously. I also like how they were able to incorporate new gameplay mechanics like tactical sprint into the OG mechanics.” With renowned positive reviews of Fortnite’s recent content amongst the gaming community, it’s safe to say that Fortnite is here to stay and is not falling off anytime soon. The future of Fortnite can have limitless possibilities with the achievement of its goal of being the metaverse of games. The developers waste no time catering to their new players, so it’s never too late to join the community.
After a rough year for Marvel fans, including canceling the Kang the Conqueror storyline in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we finally see a win in the community with the release of Marvel Rivals by NetEase Games. Marvel Rivals is a third-person hero shooter based on characters from Marvel Comics. The objective of the game is to master the abilities of your favorite Marvel character and utilize hero team-up abilities. You get the chance to embody characters you’ve always wanted to play, whether they be heroes or villains. While some players have compared the game to previous games such as Overwatch, Marvel Rivals remains one of the best games this year after only being out for a week. Marvel Rivals received 10 million downloads after 72 hours of its initial release.
“I like the hero team-ups in the game so far,” says Junior Nicholas Euri of Wayne Hills High School. “It’s cool how character types like Spider-Man and Venom can link up and make each other do more damage. Granted, the characters take a little while to master, but when you get the hang of it, it’s fun. Jeff the Shark is also really adorable and fun to play as.” Marvel Rivals seems to be doing well so far, already collaborating with the popular video game Fortnite. While the game has only been out for a week, players seem to agree that it most likely won’t fall off and it has the potential to be the next big hit game. Some people are even buying next-generation consoles like the PlayStation 5 just to get their hands on the game.
If you’re a PlayStation user, you have most definitely heard of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s hit video game series, God of War. The God of War series debuted in 2005 with their first game being God of War on the PlayStation 2. Since then, they have released countless other God of War games that were a hit, the most recent being God of War: Ragnarok(2022). The Norse epic portrays the story of the demigod Kratos as he tries to prevent Ragnarok from destroying the nine realms. God of War: Ragnarok did very well, selling 15 million units. Surprisingly, the game sold better than Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II, which was an eagerly awaited sequel for almost a decade. The game did so well that in September of 2024, it was re-released on PC for more users to play. The game can now be bought on Steam and the Epic Games Store and has grown in popularity since then. The game received a 10/10 on IGN and was called a “masterpiece” by IMDb.
“It’s a great game. It has a perfect difficulty and offers a satisfying challenge,” says senior Sebastian Reyes. “The story is the peak of the series and shows how Kratos has to force himself to change to play that fatherly role in Atreus’s life. You can choose between 2 different abilities, your light attacks and your heavy attacks, which changes up the gameplay while progressing the story. The graphics are insane, and the sound quality is immaculate. You can hear everything all at once even if you’re not looking at an enemy.” While it isn’t confirmed, rumors have been spreading saying that the next God of War game will be released sometime around 2029. While it seems Sony is currently focused on releasing games like Intergalactic, fans are still excited for the announcement of the next step in progressing the God of War series.
The Dragon Ball franchise has had a good year for content, most notably the release of Spike Chunshoft’s Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero. The fighter game consists of both single-player and multiplayer gameplay. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is said to be the best game out of the Dragon Ball video game series. The choices that you make in the videogame matter, and it’s possible to deviate from the original storyline and play an alternate scenario. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero sold over 3 million copies worldwide after just a short 24 hours and became the 4th best-selling game of 2024.
“Sparking Zero is a peak game,” says junior Samuel Morales. “The story does a good job of representing the Dragon Ball Series as a whole. The story mode and the ‘what-if’ stories are revolutionary. The mechanics are a bit confusing at first, but it gives a satisfying challenge to the player. The dialogue is a perfect representation of the characters. Overall, the game has been awesome so far for people who are fans of the Dragon Ball franchise.” While it’s currently unknown what the future of the Dragon Ball video game series holds, fans seem to be pleased with the direction that the series is going and are excited about what Spike Chunsoft has in store for us.
In 2001, Konami Computer Entertainment brought us a sequel to Silent Hill(1999). Silent Hill 2(2001) is a survival horror game dealing with inhuman creatures in a dangerous town. You play the character James Sunderland as he searches for his deceased wife. While Silent Hill 2 wasn’t that big of a hit in 2001, Konami decided to remake the game in 2024, and it’s safe to say that it sold very well. Silent Hill 2(2024) sold 1 million copies 1 week before its release date, and it quickly became the fastest-selling video game in its series. “What can I say, Silent Hill 2’s remake is amazing!” says junior Ian Santana of Wayne Hills High School. “I enjoy how different it is from other horror games, with its foggy, eerie atmosphere. I’ve seen many clips of the game and the energy, playstyle, and story seem cool.” Silent Hill 2(2024) has received great reviews, with 9.2 stars on IMDb. While it is still unsure whether or not Konami will be remaking Silent Hill 1(1999) or Silent Hill 3(2003), it is a major possibility considering the high sales of Silent Hill 2(2024).
Ultimately, the games that peaked this year were nothing short of breathtaking. 2024 was the best year for video games in a while. Whether you are a casual videogamer or a hardcore player, it is safe to say that we can all agree that it would be a blessing for 2025 to be just as good of a year for games as this one. We can all hope that new games that will be released will have just as much of an influence on the new generation, as old games did on us.
